YANN TIERSEN (London Scala, 29/04/07)

The Yann Tiersen show yesterday was the most bizarre gig I think I've ever been to. I arrived at the Scala at 8.45, having been imbibing drinks at the Big Chill with some friends, assuming that even at that late hour we'd find a half-decent vantage point. We were wrong. Because you can't access the floor of the auditorium without descending from the cramped balcony, it's impossible to get through once people are already perched there so we were stuck right by the exit, unable to see a bloody thing So, we thought "bugger this for a lark", and retreated to the balcony bar where at least we could hear the music in relative comfort. Problem was, because it was so high up you could only see the band through the fellow patrons legs so Jennywren scouted out another bar, which although chock-a-block with loud Gallic people at least provided a decent view of the proceedings on stage. It may have not been ideal, but it was a laugh all the same. As for Yann himself, he was very, very good- far better than I was expecting. His balladry was too drippy for my liking, but the intense post-rock elements combined with some manic violin playing were fantastic. He even managed to fit in an accordion track at one stage, although the highlight for me was the novel rendition of 'La Valse d'Amelie," with its xylophone intro seguing into a heavy rock epic. Don't think anyone was expecting that! Next time, I'll have to mosey on down a bit earlier so I can see the damn thing...

PETER AND THE WOLF (HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN, 25/04/07)

Welcome to the strange and unsettling land of Hoxton, where the girls are pretty, the jeans are skinny and the hair is absurdly coiffeured. Betwixt the chain-smoking fashionistas and crack-peddling rastas lies the oh-so-trendy Hoxton Square Bar and Grill, a grim concrete edifice adorned with leather sofas, paintings of alarmingly sinister clowns and a stifling atmosphere of hipster superiority. But in the midst of all this suffocating “coolness” lies a gem of a venue, where some of indie’s more exciting acts may be found before they hit the big time; Emmy The Great has graced it with her presence, I’m From Barcelona had their first UK show there (and how I regret not going to that!) and it’s where I checked out up-and-coming Liverpudlian three-piece Peter and the Wolf last night. Unashamed to deliver instantly loveable pop classics infused with a infectious Merseybeat vibe, the band’s unusual line-up of guitarist, double bassist and a vivacious barefoot percussionist gives them a quaintly bohemian edge that allows them to deftly avoid the pitfalls of MOR drudgery. In contrast to the wussy emasculated vocals so in vogue at the moment, frontman Mark Sunderland actually seems to have some passion in his voice, backed to great effect by the charming harmonies of quirky drummer Donna Dosanjh. This in itself would make them a band to recommend, but the real draw is the energy of their live shows- these bouncily joyous affairs make it clear they genuinely love performing and glancing at the faces (and crazed dancing actions) of my fellow patrons, it’s clear their enthusiasm is infectious. Like Camera Obscura, they don’t do anything desperately new, but their songwriting is so accomplished that it honestly doesn’t matter. One of the most talented new bands I’ve seen this year, Peter and the Wolf have the crossover appeal to enter the public consciousness; methinks they won’t be playing in venues as small as the Hoxton B&G for very much longer…

CSS (London Astoria, 22/04/07)

Despite their questionable musical credentials, Brazilian disco-punks CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) put on a fun, if unspectacular performance on Sunday. Their whole show hinges on the sheer charisma of unfeasibly attractive frontwoman Lovefoxx and most of the time she’s able to carry it off, covering the cracks in a band with perhaps more sass than actual talent. The crowd was certainly up for it though, with what seemed to be half the audience attempting to crowd-surf at least once and naturally things went completely mental during “Lets Make Love And Listen From Death From Above.” Tilly and the Wall were disappointing as supports, although not through lack of effort on their part- they just suffered from the appalling sound mix the Astoria seems to inflict on all its opening acts. Hipper-than-thou electro duo Ratatat were marvellous though, despite their heavy reliance on backing tracks- at their best they were like a fusion between Explosions in the Sky and 65daysofstatic, which I don’t need to tell you is a pretty sweet proposition. The next week or so is looking pretty good for gigs too- bohemian popsters Peter and the Wolf, “Amelie” composer Yann Tiersen and best of all, the one and only Cat Power. Life is sweet!

TWISTED FOLK FESTIVAL w/ THE EARLIES (London Arts Depot, 21/04/07)

So I sauntered down to the Twisted Folk Festival in Finchley yesterday, not because I'm particularly into folk or antyhing but because the Most Underrated Band In Britain (TM) were laying down their hypnotic, fully orchestrated grooves there. And unsurprisingly, the wonderful Earlies pulled out yet another blissfully top-notch show, enthused with all the mesmerising energy I've come to expect from them. I do worry that some of the jams at the end of their more proggy numbers go on too long for their own good, but Morning Wonder and a transcendent One Of Us Is Dead were worth the price of admission alone. Brilliant, brilliant band! Kudos to the crazy lanky dancey guy who made the show even more enjoyable, too!

The other acts at the fest were pretty great as well- nothing that encouraged me to throw out my indie CD's and become a dirty long-haired hippie but entertaining nonetheless. Baby-faced John Smith may have a dull name, but his voice is anything but ordinary-he's got the growl of proper grizzled bluesman truly nailed, and Alele Diane reminded me of Cat Power without the fragility with her countrified balladry. Lucy and the Caterpillar was also interesting, coming across as Emmy The Great's long lost not-quite-so-great cousin; thought she was a bit too self-consciously quirky until it dawned on me that she was actually mental! Pleasant enough though.

CAMERA OBSCURA (London Koko, 18/04/07)


Glorious purveyors of melodic folk/pop tinged with melancholy, Camera Obscura are a band who could never be accused of pushing the envelope, but whose masterful songcraft makes questions of ‘originality’ a rather moot point. And after last night show’s at the Koko, I can say (for the most part) they’re as, if not more, delightful live than on record. In a set that was at worse merely pleasant and at best sublime, ‘Let’s Get Out Of The Country’ and‘Books Written For Girls’ both stood out as highlights, rendered with a carefree energy miles away from the subdued production of the albums. But the night belonged, perhaps unsurprisingly, to the divine ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’ which was more wonderful than I could have hoped for- I honestly think it’s one of the loveliest pop tunes ever written. The band were also more lively than I was expecting; Tracy-Anne Campbell has far more charm than anyone who looks like a frumpy 50’s housewife has any right to be; just like her band, her understated demeanour belies an unexpected energy that’s very endearing. Shame about the encore then; a wistful cover of ABBA’s “Super Trouper” was cute, but ‘Eighties Fan’ was utterly deadened by the incomprehensible absence of live violin. That’s pretty much like performing ‘Wake Up’ with recorded “woooooah’s;” the strings are an integral part of the song and without them the band was basically reduced to jangling tambourines over a backing track- certainly not what a song of that calibre deserves. A disappointingly sour note to end an otherwise excellent show.

Nice supports though - Nic Dawson Kelly was a more interesting specimen of the acoustic troubadour breed that one is normally accustomed to, his histrionic, flamboyant vocals striking a intriguing middle ground between Rufus Wainwright and Carey Mercer. And given that I’ve been listening to their stuff a lot recently, Au Revoir Simone were a very welcome surprise; they played a pretty solid set, best during its more exuberant moments although the Earlies-ish prog track that rounded things off was really damn good. One of them did look a lot like an ex of mine though which was slightly perturbing…

FEIST (Shepherd's Bush Empire, 17/04/07)

Despite the humidity of the venue, the preponderance of atmosphere-sucking corporate knobheads in the audience and my hayfever-induced lack of sleep, Feist at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire was without a doubt one of the best gigs of the year so far. After a very entertaining opening set from Mayor McCa, a tap-dancing, kazoo-tooting one-band band, the Broken Social Scene songstress started her show with a beautifully ethereal track with a Bjorkish vibe, all vocoders and xylophones and piano. It was a fine, slightly left-field introduction to the world of Leslie Feist, and indicated that this wouldn’t be the two hours of meandering acoustic rambling that too often typifies the average “solo act”. As one would expect after three years of touring “Let It Die,” the set was very heavy on new material and it was great to see that it lived up to her considerable talent; a varied mix of piano-led balladry, gospel-infused rock and charming acoustic folk all showcasing her wonderfully versatile vocal skills. But it was the moments she went full pelt, her voice echoing from the rafters when she was at the top of her game, as completely enchanting as any singer I’ve ever seen. The set was rounded off with a great rendition of Mushaboom that was only slightly marred by the lack of reaction from a miserable crowd (kudos to the girls who actually got up to dance)- it’ll be interesting to see if Camera Obscura can top her tonight.

MIDLAKE (Shepherd's Bush Empire, 11/04/07)



...were good. Nothing earth-shattering, but very pleasant all the same. The material from their debut (which I'm unfamiliar with) actually came across better than a lot of the Van Occupanther stuff- they cocked up my favourite track "Young Bride" with an out-of-time intro and insufficient energy to make the song really come alive, which saddened me no end. Still, apart from the uninspiring encore, there was no doubt they're a very talented bunch and the very positive audience response definitely reflected this. In fact, the band seemed positively overwhelmed by the adulation- 'twas a great atmosphere, especially for a London show. Perhaps not as great a show as I expected, but by no means a disappointment either.

NEXT ON THE LIST: Feist, Camera Obscura, Twisted Folk (with the Earlies, Adem et al.), CSS, Peter and the Wolf and Cat Power. Damn good month for live music... :-)

TROUBLES (London Water Rats, 30/3/07)

Support bands are an inevitability of the gig circuit; a chance for up-and-coming bands to gain some performing experience and for the audience to have something to listen to whilst the main act snorts lines off hookers or violate horses or whatever rock stars do before shows. More often than not, they’re no more than average mediocrities, at best getting you to nod your head and vaguely note to check out their MySpace. Then you’ve got the godawful support bands, whose songs get lost in a fuzz of terrible acoustics and ineptitude and force all those with a semblance of sense to retreat to the sanctuary of the bar and a stiff drink.

But recently, I’ve seen quite a few bands that fall into a third category; the ones that are actually rather good. In fact, since the start of this year I’ve seen several opening acts that have equalled or even surpassed the headliner I’ve come to see; stand up Make Good Your Escape, Lonely Dear and Peter and the Wolf. Friday’s gig at the London Water Rats was another case in point. It’s not as though Hope of the States splinter band ‘Troubles’ weren’t good. Their understated post-rock was often beautiful, and the final track was as good an instrumental as HOTS ever came up with; the problem was the lack of variation. On the other hand, openers Revere had a similar post-rock formula (albeit more of the rock-out, EITS variety) but they mixed in enough unusual elements spice things up a bit. With some Beirut horns, Coral-style bounciness and Matt Bellamy vocals, they added enough to the increasingly staid genre to make them sound fresh and interesting. More importantly, they put on a fucking superb performance- for an last-billed support band playing at the back of a pub to 40 people, they certainly know how to impress. Passionate, intense and professional, I’ve seen bands play in venues twenty times the size who weren’t half as good as these guys. Shame their recorded stuff is a bit bland, but as a live proposition I have to say that these folks are unmissable. Kudos also due to the other support, the female-fronted rockers Cheap Motel who perhaps performed with more zest than actual innovation, but whose great line in rock showmanship (and the ability to play their feminine wiles to the hilt) provided for a very energetic and enjoyable set.

I also saw I’m From Barcelona again on Tuesday; just as utterly, wonderfully, euphorically joyous as ULU, but unfortunately without the big fuck-off stage invasion at the end. Dragged Ollie with me, even though he knew nothing of them prior to the show he was left absolutely speechless at how brilliant they were. Not much I can add to what I said last time, but if you like bands the Flaming Lips, I cannot impress on you enough how much you need to see IMB. Less than a show than a full-scale party!